Week 2:Social Cognitions Flashcards
(36 cards)
We categorize other objects and people in order to…
Reduce uncertainty
If we assume that ice cream sales and aggression are highly correlated this is known…
An illusionary correlation
When a heuristic is based on resemblance this is known as…
A representativeness heuristic
What is social cognition?
- Social cognition is the way in which we interpret, analyze, remember and use information about the social world.
- Cognitive processes and structures that influence and are influenced by the social context
Theories on how we process SOCIAL INFORMATION
a) Naïve Scientist
b) Cognitive Miser
c) Motivated Tactician
Naive Scientist Theory
- We are able to look for information in a systematic way to make conclusions about the world (Heider, 1958)
- Two primary needs: predict and control
- We want to come up with causal explanations
Cognitive Miser Theory
- Processing resources are valuable so we engage in time-saving mental shortcuts when trying to understand the social world (Fiske & Taylor, 1991)
- Because we are “cognitive misers” we develop cognitive tools that help us to free up limited cognitive resources (Macrea et al. 1994)
Motivated Tactician Theory
- We choose from multiple cognitive strategies based on goals, motive, and needs.
- Sometimes we choose wisely in the interests of -adaptability and accuracy, and sometimes defensively, in the interest of speed or self-esteem (Fiske & Taylor, 1991)
Biases when Forming Impressions
- Primacy and recency: Only attend to the information initially presented with. First impressions are lasting. Most recent information we attended to. PRIMACY BIAS IS STRONGER.
- Positivity and negativity: Halo effect towards more attractive people, more positive traits. Warm kind etc.
- Physical appearance:
What is a schema?
Schemas about everything in our social world. Even schemas about ourselves.
- Cognitive structures that represent knowledge about a concept or type of stimulus, including its attributes and relations among those attributes. e.g. nurses, female etc.
- Mental frameworks centering around a specific theme that help us to organize social information
- Coherent memories or mental structures for organising an individual’s understanding of daily life
What is a category?
Categorisation is the process of classifying some collection of objects, events, opinions,
(To apply schematic knowledge, you have to be able to categorise the person, event, or situation)
- Categories are not rigid/fixed systems but have “fuzzy” boundaries based on a prototype
- Prototype is a (subjective) cognitive representation of the typical/ideal defining feature of a category
Types of schema
Person schemas; Role schemas; Scripts; Content-free schemas; Self-schemas
Types of schema
Person schemas; Role schemas; Scripts; Content-free schemas(connections); Self-schemas
Storing categorical info
Store in a hierarchal manner. Intermediate basic-level categories.
Why do we categorise?
- Saves us time and cognitive processing. natural and efficient in the social world. (Fiske & Taylor, 1991)
- Frees up cognitive resources for other tasks (Macrae, Milne, & Bodenhausen, 1994)
- Categorisation provides meaning (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987),
- Reduces uncertainty (Hogg, 2000)
- Provides prescriptive norms for understanding ourselves in relation to others (Hogg, 2002)
Where do schemas/categories come from?
- Schemas and categories are basically learnt. Across time, developed across the lifespan.
- They become richer and more complex as more instances are encountered (Linville, 1982)
- They become organised and we develop links between schemas (McKiethen et al., 1981)
- Schemas become more resilient over time, more tolerant of exceptions
- Some schemas become chronically accessible
Schema Change
Rothbart (1981) suggested three processes to change schemas:
-Bookkeeping: retrieve info that goes against info against original schema
- Conversion: Dramatic change in our schema
- Subtyping: Different subtypes of particular schemas. Compartmentalise different schemas.
Define Stereotypes
- Stereotypes are a type of schema about groups of people.
- Stereotypes are widely shared generalizations, often used to describe groups as a whole
Stereotype Content Model
The content of stereotypes reflects the social structural relations between groups.
- Perceived group status influences the group’s stereotypic competence
- Intergroup competition influences (lowers) group’s stereotypic warmth
- Combinations of warmth and competence predict affective reactions to members of outgroups
Stereotypes of Elderly
Cultural stereotypes about old age affect the way seniors see themselves, often to the detriment of their physical and mental health
Positive self-perceptions of ageing increases lifespan
Bargh et al 1996-Scrambled sentence task
Elderly prime words: worried, Florida, old, lonely, grey, selfishly, careful, sentimental, wise, stubborn, courteous, bingo, withdraw, forgetful retired, wrinkle, rigid, traditional…
Measured the time it took participants to walk down the corridor afterwards. BEHAVIOUR Impacted-unconscious priming. Walked slower down the corridor
-Exposing individuals to a series of words linked to a particular stereotype (= activation of a category) influences behaviour
Define Social Encoding
Social encoding refers to the process whereby external stimuli are represented in the mind of an individual.
What are the stages of social encoding?
- Pre-attentive analysis
- Focal attention
- Comprehension
- Elaborative reasoning
What kind of stimuli grasps our attention?
- Salient stimuli: stands out just by the situation
- Vivid stimuli: Inherent quality
- Accessible stimuli
